One More Night
by Gazman3855
Summary: A family torn by tragedy moves into a mansion that is peppered with it's own sinister past, and the 999 doomed souls that walk the dark halls.
1. Diary of George Hightower

Author Note: This idea has been swinging around in y head for sometime, and I feel the time is right to move on it. I warn you, this isn't your ho hum "silly spook" laced story. This story will be a touch more sinister, highlighting all the things dark and spooky that makes up a part of our beloved mansion. Reviews and favorites are always appreciated.

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J_une 13th, 1877 _

_They all told me NOT to move into this manor, that it was haunted, cursed. I scoffed at all of them. I refused to believe in such tales of superstition. I thought myself a man of reason, of science. I had believed that living in a supposed haunted mansion with my newly wed wife would prove all the nay sayers wrong._

_It turns out, I was the wrong one. _

_It all started from the moment we stepped foot into this manor. There were small instances at first. A few bumps here and there, maybe a creaking door or two. Nothing out of the ordinary for such an old home. Constance kept assuring me that everything was fine and okay. _

_Then things started to get worse. _

_Shadows moving in and out of the corner of my eye, bangs occurring in the dead of night, whispers in dead empty rooms. Constance kept trying to assure me that everything was fine and that it was just the house settling in. None of my friends or family stated longer than a night in this place. Every single time, they would be driven out by the noises and the small glimpses of these "shadow people" as they called them. _

_Plus, the physical rooms of this place doesn't seem to feel right. _

_Our conservatory feels less like a reception are and more like a funeral parlor. The plants refuse to stay alive for more than a day. The halls are all covered in this ghastly wallpaper that look like evil eyes that seem to glare right into your soul. Did I happen to mention there's a seance parlor in our home? I refuse to step into it, keep it nice and locked up. It feels so dark and horrid in that room. _

_And then there's the attic. _

_When we first moved in, my wife moved a few things from her previous marriges into the attic and all seemed well. That was until she started going up there more and more. At first, she would be up there for less than a couple of minuets. Now, there's times when she nearly spends the whole day in there, and I can swear I can faintly hear her talking to someone else in there. _

_I don't know how long I can take it here. Constance seems determined to live in this dreary place. For the sake of my marriage, I'll stay. However, the moment things get worse then they already are, I'm packing my things and leaving, wife or no wife. _

_George Hightower_


	2. The Big Old House on the Hill

The Haunted Mansion belongs to Disney

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13 hours. It wasn't much of a round number, but it struck Peter hard that it took 13 hours for the real estate agent to show them homes.

For Peter, it was the longest 13 hours of his life. It was only a few weeks ago that he lost his mother to cancer, and mere days ago that he had to pack his things and tell all his friends that he spent his entire life interacting with that he would be leaving and moving to a sleepy suburb of New Orleans called "Ville De La Morte". It was your typical aged village, filled with quaint little street, Spanish moss covered trees, and numerous manor homes. He didn't know why his dad just closed his eyes and pointed to one to move in to. They were all the same; old, musty, and WAY too pricey for their lifestyles.

His dad was an author, who published small works in the local paper, but wanted desperately to write a full blown novel.

"Living in one these places might do us some good!" he kept reminding them. It sort of eased Peter's mind, but his sister May, not so much.

Ever since their mom went into intensive care, May underwent a dramatic transformation. She went from a typical preppy cheerleader into something straight out of a Rob Zombie film. Every part of her was covered in something in black, all of her jewelry were skull shaped or death related, and her once bright blonde hair was now a mix of black and purple.

Even Peter found himself wearing more black, though not as much as his sister.

His father's wardrobe really didn't change. He still had the messy blonde hair that he shared with Peter, and he continued to wear a steady supply of flanneled shirts and jeans. His mood, however, started to deteriorated. Once, he was a happy, quirky guy brimming with life. Now, he wasn't as bubbly or chipper as he once was.

'I guess loss does that to a person' Peter kept telling himself.

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"Well, that's the last house on the market" chirped the bubbly agent who had taken the front seat. They had finally drove into the older part of town, to a place that was bordered by a large, nameless park. With the down right dreary weather, it almost looked like a bone yard.

"Well, I guess we'll try again tomorrow, right guys?" Zeke replied, looking back at his kids. Peter feigned a small smile, while May groaned and rolled her eyes. Sighing, Zeke made his way down the lone road. I t wasn't until half way down when he suddenly stopped, jolting the passengers in his SUV "Hold on a minuet, what about that one?" The attention of everyone in the car was immediately turned to a large, antebellum mansion. The large iron gates flanked by equally as imposing gargoyles had a big "For Sale" sign posted on the front.

The agent suddenly lost her bubbly demeanor and began to fidget with her clip board. "Well..will you look at that" Before she could object, the family was already out of the car and gawking at the mansion.

"It's huge!"

"It's gorgeous"

"It's probably haunted"

While Zeke glared at his daughter, the agent, named Dee, flinched at the word haunted. Looking at the manor, her grimace became more apparent. "Look, this place is rife with structure problems, the lawn is over grown, and the only caretaker this place had died just a few days ago" she told them. She waited for looks of disappointment, but the father seemed to brighten up, even looked glad at what she said.

"Well, I'm a bit of a handy man, I'm pretty sure I can fix this place up good as new!" He continued to gaze at the manor, as if he was staring at fine art for the very first time. "How much is it going for?"

The agent sighed and attempted to muffle her answer with her clip board "Thirteen thousand"

All three of them gave her a look of absolute shock. "That's it? That's how much this pace is going for?" the father replied with a dumfounded voice. He quickly raised a brow and smirked. "What's the catch?"

The agent sighed and looked at the man with worry filled eyes. "The truth of the matter is that we can't ever get a family or anyone for that matter to stay put! They all up and disappear within a few days, even leaving their stuff behind" Before she could finish, Zeke held up a hand and chuckled.

"I've never been one to stray away from spook stories ma'am, we'll take it!"

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Once again, reviews are always appreciated!


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